Tonsillectomy--lessons learned

Okay, so I read quite a few informative blogs that helped me learn some tricks through my tonsillectomy recovery. I didn't want to write about the happenings each day while I was going through it, because I would've felt like a whiner. Now that I am through it, I want to blog about it so that others can learn some of the tips that I did.

Day 1-3

I felt very flu like and could barely make it 2 hours into my pain medication. I am allergic to Morphine and I get emotional on Lortab and I vomit with Percoset. I was given tylenol with codeine and some Perc with anti-nausea pills. Though it was a nice effort on my doctor's part, neither of those two kept me feeling human. I constantly felt shakey and flu like.

Day 3-4

I noticed bumps on these two days on my face. It turned into a rash once it reached my neck, chest and tummy. It was pretty mild. But once it had

a few days to run its course, my face started peeling off, the way people's faces do with acutane. Weird.

Day 5

On this morning, I decided to try to manage the pain without narcotics. I felt much more human, though I couldn't hardly eat or drink anything and was very weak and tired.

Day 6

I bled profusely this night because I think because I was trying to get phlegm out, or maybe because I got a massage earlier that day. The doctor's office said it was okay to get a massage, but I get pretty deep ones, that involve a lot of neck

stretches. It bled for about 10 minutes total, with me standing over the sink and gargling with water and spitting out tons and tons of blood. At one point, Gracee started screaming because the sounds I was making in the bathroom scared her. I had to come out with my hand under my chin to catch the blood and smile to her across the hallway to reassure her I was alright, then she was happy as a lark. The tip I learned that finally got the bleeding to stop was gargling with a huge glass of ice water.

Day 7

Maybe due to the bleeding episode the night before, I woke up this morning with pain too intense to handle without the help of narcotics. I took 2 more final doses of tylenol with codeine this day. I even hobbled over to a playgroup, where I didn't talk much and felt like I had the flu the whole time--but at least I was out of the house! It felt so good to at least pretend I felt good.

That night I remembered that I have a bunch of

DoTerra essential oils. I texted my friend who knows a ton about them and asked what she would suggest. I am so glad I did! Everything started to get better EXPONENTIALLY faster after I started doing what she said. She had me swishing and drinking water with the following oils and blends: On Guard, Lavendar, lemon, and Melaleuca. I would always finish off with the On Guard because it has clove in it, which numbs everything up REALLY well!

Day 8

This was my first full day doing the oils instead of narcotics. The oils worked so well that I didn't hardly even have to take any OTC medication either for the rest of my recovery.

Day 10

At this point I was feeling much better and stronger. I still writhed in pain when I ate though. Here is my next tip: I discovered the beauty of WATER PIK! My mom has one of these and let me use one of her apparatus'. I put it on slow flow half way through my meals and at the end of them. It helped clean out anything and everything that was stuck under the flaps, gouges, and whatever other shapes there were in my scabs. This was the point it which I really started regaining strength and energy because I was fully free to eat most whatever I wanted--providing it wasn't acidic.

Day 17

Scabs are completely off at this point. Throat still gets tired very easily and especially when I shout. The reason my talking swallowing, singing and eating muscles are so sore and tired is because he had to cut deep into my mouth muscles to get those babies out because I'm an adult.

Day 19

Went to post op appointment today. Doc says things look good. The tightness and slight soreness is normal for another month. I have no restrictions--I can even sing again!!! Yea! I can shout and talk loud and for a long time =) if I want, with no soreness.